Cabinet for holding disk phonograph-records and indexes combined therewith.



W. A. HOBBS. CABINET FOR HOLDING DISK PHONOGRAPH RECORDS AND INDEXES COMBINED THEREWITH.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 8, 1909.

Patented Aug. 17, 1909.

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APPLICATION FILED JAN. 8, 1909.

Patented Aug. 17, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I/Vl/ENTUR ATTOR/VE V8 5 N ta 0 WIT/V5888 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM ARTHUR HOBBS, OF SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA.

CABINET FOR HOLDING- DISK PHONOGRAPH-RECORDS AND INDEXES COMBINED THEREWITH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 17, 1909.

Application filed January 8, 1909. Serial No. 471,275.

' for safely holding a large number of disk phonograph records, separated from each other and supported flatwise throughout their areas, so as to prevent warping of the records while stored in the cabinet.

A further object of the invention is to combine with the door of the cabinet an index of novel construction, that will reliably indicate the different records stored in the cabinet, by consecutive numbers and titles of the renditions of music, songs orrecltations, so that any selection contained in the cabinet may be instantly located and removed, for execution of the matter i1n pressedon said record on a suitable phonograph.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described and defined in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specifi- 1 cation, in which similar characters of referonce indicate .corresponding parts in all the views.

-Figure l is a front elevational view of the improved cabinet, opened to expose the intenor parts; Fig. 2 1s a sectional side view, substantially on the line 2-2 in Fig. 3, seen in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view substantially on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2; and Fig-=4 is a sectional plan View substantially on the line H in Fig. 2.

In the drawings that illustrate the preferred form of the improvement, A indicates a substantially rectangular casing which represents the exterior walls of the cabinet, comprising two side walls 5, 5, spaced a art in paralle planes by a rear vertical we. 1 6, a reinforced to wall 7 and a bottom wall 8. The front wall fi forms a doorthat is hinged at a, a, on a stile 9 which is disposed at one front cornerpf the structure, a mating stile 9 that is arranged in front at the other corner, providing a closing strip on which the door seats when closed. Suitable legs I), which depend at the four corners of the cabinet, afford support therefor, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. v

A plurality of thin shelf boards 10, having equal area and rectangular contour, are provided, having such a length as adapts them,

to loosely fit transversely within the assembled cabinetwalls. The shelf boards 10 are equally spaced apart and arranged in a vertical tier by a suitable number of similar spaced strips 11, that intervene between adjacent shelf boards. Three spacing strips 11 atford support for each shelf board 10, and as shown, the strips that support the lowermost shelf are seated and secured on the bottom wall 8 of the cabinet body A, two of said strips being placed respectively in contact with the side walls 5, 5, and the remaining strip of the set at a suitable point intermediately thereof. The shelf boards 10 have contact at their rear side edges with'the rear wall 6 andextend toward the front an equal distance, leaving a suitable space. between their front edges and the door 9. As the strips 11 have an equal thickness, it will be seen that the space between each adjacent pair of shelf boards 10, alfords a receptacle 0 forthe disk records B, C, D. The width and depth of these receptacles is propon tioned to receive two records in each one, that may be of an equal width, as shown in Fig. 3, or have different widths, as represented in Fi 4; and as shown in said views, the intermediate stripll between each pair of shelf boards 10, is relatively positioned so that the disks may be readily inserted. Therecords that are to occupy the receptacles 0 may be 12 inches in diameter, as shown at B in Fig. 4, 10 inches in diameter as indicated at ,C, or 8 inches. in diameter as shown at D, and as it isessential that these various disk records should all project forwardly an equal distance beyond the front edges of the shelf boards 10, provision to elfect this will now be described.

In each. receptacle 0, two abutment blocks (5 are placed and secured, the pair of said blocks that are inserted between each pair of shelf boards .10, being spaced apart and so located with reference to the diameter of the disk that is to occupy the re eptacle, that upon the insertion of said disk until it impinges upon the abutment blocks, a portion thereof will be projected beyond the front edges of the shelf boards that form the top 5 and bottom walls of the receptacle or cell. Uponreference to Fig. 3, in which two disks of an equal area are placed iii-the two equal cells or receptacles 0, it will be seen that the two pairs of abutment blocks cl are all p0 sitioned an equal distance from the front edges of the shelf board 10 whereon said disks are seated. In Fig. 4: it will be noted that the abutment blocks l in the cell c at the left side of said view, are located nearer the rear wall of the body A of the cabinet then thepair of abutment blocks in the cell c at the right side thereof, this difference in location of the two pairs of abutment blocks adapting them for projecting the large disk in the left hand receptacle an equal distance with the small disk D in'the right hand cell from the front edges of the shelf boards. 10 that form the two cells.

The provision of the level shelf boards 10 is an advantageous feature of the improvement, as these shelves being formed of a suitable material that will not twist orwarp and will maintain level surfaces,-alford support for the disk records that have contact throughout their areas with the shelves, which prevents the slightest distortion of the records that they-are liable to receive if stood on their edges or held-by said edges in horizontal planes. 7

It will be seen that the forward projection of all the disk records that occupy the receptacles c in the cabinet A, permit the instant removal of any record by taking hold of it in an obvious manner.

Provision-is made for plainly defining the position of each record placed in the cabinet, comprising the following details: Upon the forward ends of the spacing strips 11 that may be arranged as shown in Fig. 1, thin strips 0 of suitable-material are secured, whereon a continuous series of numerical indicators are i1nprinted,- each consecutive number'being placed opposite a'receptacle a and thus adapted for indicating the number given to a record. To facilitate the selection of a record whereon asong or other musical score is impressed, by its title as well as its numbeigan index of novel character is provided, consistingof the details shown in Fig.1. Upon the cabinet door9, projecting from the inner" side thereof, is a preferably wooden bracket block block 12 is formed with two inclines g of preferably equal height and inclination, that are separated by an offset h at the center of height for the block, and-as shown, the latter is substantially equal in area with that of the door. Upon the inclined surfaces of the inclines 9, three thin resilient strips z B that may be sheet metal, having an equal thereof, as

on the inclined surfaces v12, by an insertion of headed nails 0 at such 12. The

cent to the cells or receptacles 0.

widthvand a height equal with that of the bracket block, are secured, these vertical strips being respectively located one along each side edge thereof and one at the trans verse center of said block. The strips 11 are secured in place by small screws or headed nails m, and these are driven into the bracket block at intervals, passing through the transverse centers of the strips, that by their resilience are adapted for slight outward liexure at their side edges. posed surfaces of the thin strips 2', two series of indicating numerals are arranged, one series reading consecutively from one at the top of the left, hand strip to the bottom for example, from 1 to 20 inclusive. The other series of indicating numerals is imprinted or otherwise placed on the strips 2' located on the two inclines formed on the block 12 at its transverse center, and 'said second series begins with the indicating numeral next higher in notation -than the numeral that is the lowest one of the series-at the left side edge of the bracket block; It will be seen that the two series of spaced indicating numerals on the door are duplicates of the two series placed on the strips c in the cabinet A, and that these are disposed opposite the series of cells or receptacles c therein. A number of indicating cards t are provided, preferably having an equal width, and a len th so proportioned that the-edges of'the en s of said cards may be inserted below the side edges of the strips 2', and by resilience of the latter be held in place subject to removal as may be desired. The width of the cards at is for convenience in handling, preferably equal to that of the space occupied by the adjacent cells or re 'ceptacles 0, and the thickness of one shelf board 10 added thereto, so that each card it may carry the'titl'es of records, and at the corresponding ends there of are located the numbers of .the disks and of the cells or receptacles that are normally occupied by the records bearing the numbers shown on a respective card at. Each indicating card n is removably secured. in place of the bracket block points and depth in said block as will adapt the heads of the nails to receivethe side two adjacent disk edges of the respective cards n beneath them.

Each card it has the titles of two' disk records print-ed orotherwise marked thereon, which correspond in number with the indicating numerals opposite the card and that are on the indicating strip 2' at the left hand end of the card, and consequently are duplicated opposite the cells occupied by the disk records specified on the strips 6 that are adja- It will be seen that the disk records of different titles arid numbers and which are placed in their order numerically in the cells the .nails 0,

or receptacles 0, may be instantly found in the cabinet by reference to the improved index that has been described.

It will be apparent that in case new records are to be substituted for some that are stored in the cells. of the cabinet, they may be designated on the index by the removal of the cards having the titles of such obsolete records on them,

the new records are marked. As the indicating cards n are held in place by an engagement of their ends and side edges respectively with the strips e, and the heads of it will be obvious that an exchange of said cards may be readily effected as may be desired.

The inclinations on the bracket block 12 facilitate the inspection of the index by a person seated. before the cabinet, and it is preferred to so construct to be understood that also be held removably fare of the door.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A cabinet for disk records, provided with a plurality of shelves, spacing strips the same, but it is the index cards may on the flatcinner sur- 5] between the shelves and upon which they rest. said strips dividing each shelf into two comparti'nents and abutment blocks secured between the shelves for engagement by the and replacing the. same with new cards whereon the titles of rest, said strips dividing each shelf into two compartments. and abutment blocks secured between the shelves for engagement by the edges of the disks, said blocks bein spaced from the front edge-of the respective shelf a distance sufficient to cause a portion of the disk to project beyond the shelf, said shelves being ot a lesser depth than the depth of the cabinet, and the abutment blocks extending the full depth of the space between the shelves, a door for closing the cabinet, and an index supported on the inner face of the door in the space between said inner face and the edges of the disk.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

\VILLIAM ARTHUR HOBBS.

Witnesses J. F. SLATTERY,

A. C. LEA.

disk records, provided 

